Advice For First Time Renters

29/07/2019

Whether you choose to move out at the first chance you get or wait till a little later on in life, these are some of our top tips for making your entire experience from moving to settling in as straight forward as possible. Unfortunately, we can’t help with the stress of building Swedish flat-pack furniture but hopefully, these tips and advice will make the rest of your experience simple.

Contents Insurance

Although your landlord will look after expensive white goods (if there were included) and the exterior; what you bring into the property is your responsibility. Taking out contents insurance will cover things like your sofa, other pieces of furniture and electricals. You can even add personal cover for items you take out of the home like a phone, tablet or tablet meaning your things will always be covered.

You’ll typically take out insurance for a 12-month contract and the amount you pay will vary on quite a few factors but even between different providers, there will be a price difference. We’d also encourage you to shop around after your first year before renewing as you might be able to save a little money again by moving to a new provider or with the help of a discount incentive from your current provider.

Look after your drains

We say this from experience… looking after your drain can prevent leaks or blockages. In the kitchen fat can build up in your drains whilst in the bathroom hair is the common culprit for blocked drains. So when you move in we’d recommend using a bit of drain unblock and being vigilant to any slow draining or bad smells that could be a sign of a problem in the pipes. Where possible let your landlord know of any issues ahead of time so that the issue can be solved before it escalates.

Know what changes you can’t make without permission from the landlord

When you first move in you’ll want to make it feel like home but unfortunately, some of the changes you have in mind might not be okay with your landlord. Things like painting, putting nails in the wall and changing cupboards or doors need to be agreed with your landlord before the changes are made. Once you’ve got the go-ahead, make sure it is in writing just to be sure you are covered when it comes to moving out and getting your deposit back.

These changes also include bringing pets in the home – even small caged animals like a hamster or guinea pigs should be agreed prior to them being brought into your home. Most landlords won’t mind small animals, some might want additional deposit or rent and some will reject the idea all together so just be sure you know what your landlord is comfortable with.

Prepare your internet in advance

It’s the 21st century, we all know how important that Wifi connection is, unfortunately when you move it can take time for your new provider to get you set up and sort your connection. To avoid waiting look for an internet provider early and sort out the setup day – some companies might be able to get you sorted on the day you move in but others may take a few days and depending on how last minute you leave it you could even be left waiting a few weeks!

But preparing in advance and getting that new installation date as close to your moving date as possible will mean you won’t be waiting for too long… hopefully.

Put previous residents mail back in the post

After you first move into your new home you might find yourself receiving the previous resident’s mail. Hopefully, they will have set up a forwarding address so you can put a line through the incorrect address and write that they are no longer at the address, by doing this you can pop the mail back in the post and with a bit of luck, it’ll be passed onto the correct person.

Depending on how many previous tenants have been at that address you might be receiving mail that isn’t yours for quite some time but don’t worry, just pop it back in the mailbox. If you get any larger parcels you could try speaking to the landlord to see if she/he knows where the previous residents are now living and if that fails you can take it into a local post office and explain to them, you won’t be made to pay for the re-shipping of these articles.

Check the different energy and gas supplier to see if you can switch to a cheaper provider

When you move into your new property take readings for your water, gas, and electricity – this will be helpful for two reasons. Firstly, you will know what you owe and won’t have to cover bills for the previous tenants. As well as this you will be able to put these readings into energy calculator and a variety of providers can give you quotes.

This will mean that you can find the right option for your budget and potentially save a lot of money. Before you do switch providers though make sure your landlord is happy for you to do so, most of the time they will be completely fine with this and in many cases, it is actually up to the tenants to sort gas and electric (water is more standardised).

Buy what you need when you need it

When you look around relatives homes often they are filled with furniture, Nik Naks and other personal items. However, these will have all been collected over time and when you first move out you don’t need all these things. So rather than stressing about all the things you want in your home just buy things as and when you need them or when the budget can stretch to cover them!

You’d be surprised how many first time renters go without a bed frame for a few months or ‘make do’ with hand-me-downs. Plus with the ease of the internet, you’ll be able to browse second-hand deals meaning you can pick up some bargains, often in your local community so you won’t have to drive far to pick them up and add them to your home.